Myelopathy

Myelopathy is an injury to the spinal cord due to severe compression that may result from trauma, congenital stenosis, degenerative disease or disc herniation. The spinal cord is a group of nerves housed inside the spine that runs almost its entire length. When any portion of the spinal cord becomes compressed or constricted, the resulting symptoms are known as myelopathy. Myelopathy due to late stage cervical disc disease is the gradual loss of nerve function due to disorders of the spine.

When the spinal cord is compressed or injured, it may cause a loss of sensation, loss of function, and pain or discomfort in the area at or below the compression point. Myelopathy symptoms may include:

  • Neck, arm, leg or lower back pain

  • Tingling, numbness or weakness

  • Difficulty with fine motor skills, such as writing or buttoning a shirt

  • Increased reflexes in extremities or the development of abnormal reflexes

  • Difficulty walking

  • Loss of urinary or bowel control

  • Issues with balance and coordination

As you age, inflammation, arthritic illness, bone spurs and the flattening of the spinal discs between the vertebrae can put pressure on the spinal cord and the nerve roots. Myelopathy typically develops slowly as result of the gradual degeneration of the spine (spondylosis), but it can also take an acute form or stem from a spine deformity present at birth.

  • Common causes of myelopathy are degenerative spinal conditions, such as spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the bony passageways of the spine through which the spinal cord and nerve roots travel.

  • Central disc herniations can also result in compression on the spinal cord, leading to the development of myelopathy.

  • Autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis in the spine, can also lead to degenerative changes in the vertebrae that result in spinal cord compression and myelopathy.

  • Hernias, cysts, hematomas and spinal tumors, including bone cancer, may also press on the spinal cord and lead to myelopathy.

  • Acute myelopathy can develop quickly as a result of a spinal injury, spinal infection, inflammatory disease, radiation therapy or neurological disorders.